The 87th Masters gets underway Thursday with a field of 89 players that includes 18 from the LIV Golf Series, six of whom are former Masters champions. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the defending champ. Post-Gazette golf writer Gerry Dulac breaks down the contenders and predicts the winner.
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Name — Comment
Scottie Scheffler — Been 21 years since a Masters champ repeated
Rory McIlroy — It's his ninth attempt at capturing golf's Grand Slam
Jon Rahm — Three-time winner in 2023 just waiting for a green jacket
Jordan Spieth — Has led Masters on nine different occasions, second-most in history
Cam Smith — British Open champ leading the charge for LIV players
Max Homa — Two-time PGA Tour winner in 2023 a solid bet
Justin Thomas — Only two top 10s in seven Masters appearances
Patrick Cantlay — Had the lead after 69 holes in the 2019 Masters, but ...
Victor Hovland — Low amateur in 2019, trying to be low professional in '23
Sam Burns — Match-play win might turn around his season
Cam Young — He's the new Scottie Scheffler — when he wins, look out
Tyrrell Hatton — You gotta love his temperament ... and game
Joaquin Niemann — If there's an LIV guy to watch, it's the Chilean
Dustin Johnson — Five top 10s, including 2020 win, in last eight Masters
Brooks Koepka — Can four-time major winner ride an LIV Tour victory?
Matthew Fitzpatrick — Four missed cuts in last seven PGA Tour starts
Tiger Woods — He showed last year he can make the cut; but win?
And the winner is ... Rory McIlroy. If he can avoid his notorious slow start at Augusta National, he will not need a final-round 64 like last year.
